


A Moment of Silver Clarity

by F-117 Nighthawk (F117_Nighthawk)



Series: Pepperony Week 2K17 [4]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: But man, F/M, Fluff, I'M STILL SCREAMING, Pepperony Week, Post-Iron Man 1, Tony Stark Has A Heart, and it its Pepper's, it's mild, spoilers for the very end of spider man:homecoming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-11-30 00:09:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11451927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/F117_Nighthawk/pseuds/F-117%20Nighthawk
Summary: After the events of Iron Man 1, Tony has a realization.Very much inspired by Tony's last scene in Spider-Man: Homecoming.





	A Moment of Silver Clarity

**Author's Note:**

> _Y'ALL HAD BETTER HAVE SEEN SPIDER MAN BECAUSE SPOILERS AAAAAAAAAAAA_  
>  This is the piece that I wrote and then realized that it was pepperony week and well I had to write wayyyyy more.

_“Happy, you still got that ring?”_

_“I've had it in my pocket since 2008!”_

 

Tony leaned back into his couch, exhausted. He was still bruised from his fight with O- _Stane._ He was Stane now, not Obi. The man he had known like a father was long gone. He no longer deserved the name Obi. The makeup Pepper had put on him to cover up the contusions on his face had long since rubbed off; he could feel every single one of them throbbing. There was a slight aching in his chest from bruised ribs and the arc reactor. He hadn’t had time to build another of the improved model and was using the smaller one he had built in the cave. He hadn’t realized how heavy the thing was until he had to put it back in his chest.

Pepper sat on the table in front of him, legs crossed, staring at him. “SHIELD wants to put you on a special call list.”

He nodded, eyes closed. “The Avengers Initiative. Protect the world against ‘impossible threats,’ whatever that means. Fury said aliens or rouge people like Stane were likely what I would be called for.” Tony rubbed at his chest, just to reassure himself that the arc was still there. He had a feeling that was going to become a habit.

Pepper sighed. “That’s gonna be hell for your schedule.”

“Not really,” Tony countered, sitting up, “I’m only being called in emergencies, and according to Fury it’s rare they have something that their agents can’t handle. I’m fairly certain it’ll be obvious if they need to call me.”

Pepper looked worried. Tony studied her. She was tapping a pen on the table; her leg was bouncing on the other one; her heel was swinging through the air; she was biting her lip. Her hair kept escaping from behind her ears and she kept pushing it back.

Impulsively, he leaned forward and pushed her hair back for her. Pepper stopped moving for a second, staring at him. He wanted nothing more in that moment than to curl up under a thousand blankets with her in his arms. He wanted to fall asleep with her scent surrounding him, with her arms looped around him and his face buried in her hair. He gave her a soft smile, attempting to convey his sudden rush of feelings with just a small gesture.

Pepper gave him a small smile back. “Are you feeling okay? Need ice or something?”

Tony blinked at her. “I’m fine. I have to go fix the suit anyway.”

“You sure? Your face is still pretty bad, and I can only imagine what your chest looks like.”

“I’m sure.”

Pepper stood up and extended a hand to him, helping him to his feet. She surprised him by stepping forward and embracing him, chin resting on his shoulder. Tony only hesitated a second before wrapping her up in his arms. He tilted his head into her neck and simply enjoyed the feeling of closeness for as long as she would let him. She appropriately smelled like pepper and sandalwood, he noticed.

In that moment he realized he loved her with all his heart. Pepper was the only constant in his life, the only person who understood the problems he faced and was able to help. She was one of the few that had stayed while he was captured in Afghanistan, one of two he was able to count on with his life. She had unknowingly saved him so many times without even trying. She was the most beautiful woman in the world to him, and the best thing that had ever happened to him. He would sacrifice everything to protect her.

All too short a time later Pepper pulled back to look him in the eye. “Take care of yourself, Tony. You’re all I have.”

Tony rested his forehead against hers. He could kiss her, but he wouldn’t. Whatever they had was too fragile and new, not even fully acknowledged, for rash acts. “I will, Pepper. But I’m taking care of you, too.”

“Well, I guess we’re taking care of each other,” she smiled. “I cleared your schedule tomorrow so you can have some rest, but make sure you _actually get some rest._ Don’t spend the next twenty four hours in your shop fixing the suit.”

He breathed a laugh. “Okay, Pepper.”

She stepped out of his embrace and grabbed her purse from the side table near the door. “Goodnight, Tony.”

“Goodnight, Pepper.”

Tony smiled after her as she walked out the door to the waiting car. He was sure that if there happened to be anyone else in the house they would stare at him for the dopey smile on his face. He stood in the middle of the living room for a moment, staring at the door.

“Hey, JARVIS?”

“Yes, Sir?”

“I’m gonna marry her someday. Not immediately, but someday.”

“A good plan, Sir. May I suggest a ring?”

“Why don’t we make one,” Tony said, stepping toward the stairs down to his workshop, “I’m thinking we see if we can get the same blue as the arc reactor.”

**Author's Note:**

> Y'all I was seriously crying in the theater when Tony asked Happy if the ring was in his pocket. HE'S HAD A RING FOR PEPPER SINCE 2008 THAT WAS WHEN IM1 CAME OUT I was already SCREAMING internally when PEPPER OPENED THE DOOR and then Tony TONY SAID THAT and AAAAAA and THEYRE ENGAGED I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO HAPPY FOR AN ENGAGEMENT IN MY LIFE
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> ~~sobs over pepperony for the rest of her life~~


End file.
